Crystal Transformation from the Incorporation of Coordinate Bonds into a Hydrogen-Bonded Network Yields Robust Free-Standing Supramolecular Membranes

Altering the structures of 3D supramolecular assemblies from melamine and cyanuric acid derivatives in water

Herein, we obtained two supramolecular assemblies with layered structures from melamine, N-methylmelamine, and hexynyl-cyanuric acid in water. By combination of X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and molecular dynamics studies, we found that introducing one methyl group in melamine alters the arrangement of the layers in these structures.

Interconversion and functional composites of metal-organic frameworks and hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), an emerging class of highly ordered crystalline porous materials, possess structural tunability, high specific surface area, well-defined pores, and diverse pore environments and morphologies, making them suitable for various potential applications. Moreover, hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs), constructed from organic molecules with complementary hydrogen-bonding patterns, are rapidly evolving into a novel category of porous materials due to their facile mild preparation conditions, solution processability, easy regeneration capability, and excellent biocompatibility. These distinctive advantages have garnered significant attention across diverse fields. Considering the inherent binding affinity between MOFs and HOFs along with the fact that many MOF linkers can serve as building blocks for constructing HOFs, their combination holds promise in creating functional materials with enhanced performance. This feature paper provides an introduction to the interconversion between MOFs and HOFs followed by highlighting the emerging applications of MOF-HOF composites. Finally, we briefly discuss the current challenges associated with future perspectives on MOF-HOF composites.

Anion Modulation of Ag-Imidazole Cuboctahedral Cage Microenvironments for Efficient Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction

How to achieve CO2 electroreduction in high efficiency is a current challenge with the mechanism not well understood yet. The metal-organic cages with multiple metal sites, tunable active centers, and well-defined microenvironments may provide a promising catalyst model. Here, we report self-assembly of Ag4L4 type cuboctahedral cages from coordination dynamic Ag+ ion and triangular imidazolyl ligand 1,3,5-tris(1-benzylbenzimidazol-2-yl) benzene (Ag-MOC-X, X=NO3, ClO4, BF4) via anion template effect. Notably, Ag-MOC-NO3 achieves the highest CO faradaic efficiency in pH-universal electrolytes of 86.1 % (acidic), 94.1 % (neutral) and 95.3 % (alkaline), much higher than those of Ag-MOC-ClO4 and Ag-MOC-BF4 with just different counter anions. In situ attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy observes formation of vital intermediate *COOH for CO2-to-CO conversion. The density functional theory calculations suggest that the adsorption of CO2 on unsaturated Ag-site is stabilized by C-H⋅⋅⋅O hydrogen-bonding of CO2 in a microenvironment surrounded by three benzimidazole rings, and the activation of CO2 is dependent on the coordination dynamics of Ag-centers modulated by the hosted anions through Ag⋅⋅⋅X interactions. This work offers a supramolecular electrocatalytic strategy based on Ag-coordination geometry and host-guest interaction regulation of MOCs as high-efficient electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction to CO which is a key intermediate in chemical industry process.

Photocatalytic Conversion of Methane to Ethanol at a Three-Phase Interface with Concentration-Matched Hydroxyl and Methyl Radicals

The direct oxidation of CH4 to C2H5OH is attractive but challenging owing to the intricate processes involving carbon-chain growth and hydroxylation simultaneously. The inherent difficulty arises from the strong tendency of CH4 to overoxidize in the commonly used pressurized powder suspension systems rich in reactive oxygen radicals (ROR), which are specifically designed for CH4 concentration and activation. Meanwhile, the strong tendency of nucleophilic attack of potent ROR on the C-C bond of the resulting product C2H5OH ultimately leads to a higher selectivity for C1 oxygenates. This study addresses this multifaceted issue by designing a three-phase interface based on a hydrophilic floating Fe(III)-cross-linked macroporous alginate hydrogel film encapsulated with C3N4 [Fe(III)@ACN] to simultaneously enhance the accessibility of H2O and CH4 molecules to the active sites and species within the macroporous channel. The hydrophilic properties of Fe(III)@ACN allow the in situ production of H2O2 from C3N4 through the water oxidation reaction under irradiation. The concurrent photoinduced Fe(II) triggers Fenton reaction with H2O2 to produce •OH. The enhanced mass transfer of CH4 at the three-phase interface ensures the efficient formation of •CH3 by reacting with •OH, ultimately facilitating carbon-chain growth in the conversion pathway from CH4 to CH3OH and finally to C2H5OH with •CH3 and •OH present in comparable concentrations. Thus, the Fe(III)@ACN catalyst exhibits a remarkable 96% selectivity for alcohol, achieving a 90% selectivity for C2H5OH in the alcohol products. The C2H5OH production rate reaches 171.7 μmol g-1 h-1 without the need for precious-metal additive.

Exclusive Coordination between Melem and Silver(I) Ions: From Irregular Aggregates to Nanofibers to Crystal Cubes

There is growing focus on metal-free molecules and polymers owing to their potential applications in various energy and catalysis-related applications. Melem (2,5,8-triamino-s-heptazine, C6H6N10) has emerged as a metal-free material for solar-to-fuel conversion. However, its reactivity with metal ions or organic molecules has never been reported although it possesses multiple supramolecular interaction sites. In this work, we report on the synthesis of a novel metal-organic coordination framework (melem-Ag) by simply introducing Ag+ into the aqueous suspension of aggregated melem particles. Notably, as the reaction progresses, the melem disappears, and the morphology of the newly formed complex spontaneously evolves from nanofibers to single-crystalline blocks, which possess the same chemical structure, indicating that the morphology evolution is driven by Ostwald ripening. The structure of melem-Ag displays infinite nanocages of triangular pyramids consisting of melem molecules and Ag+, linked via Ag-N coordinate bonding and Ag-Ag argentophilic interactions. It is noteworthy that Ag+ is the only transition-metal cation that reacts with melem suspensions, even in the presence of other transition-metal cations (Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+). The coordination of Ag+ to melem results in metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT), resulting in a quenched photoluminescence and enhanced light absorption. Exposing the melem-Ag crystals to UV light for varying time intervals results in the formation of colorful powders, which may be used for Ag-decorated photocatalysts.

From non-conductive MOF to proton-conducting metal-HOFs: a new class of reversible transformations induced by solvent-free mechanochemistry

Proton-conducting materials play an important role as solid electrolytes in electrochemical devices for energy storage and conversion, including proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) and more recently hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) have emerged as useful crystalline platforms for proton transport that provide high conductivity and enable insight into conduction pathways. Here, we present two new HOFs with high conductivity, reaching 2 × 10-2 S cm-1 at 60 °C and 75% relative humidity, obtained in reactions that represent a new class of reversible transformations of solids. The reactions are induced by solvent-free mechanochemistry and involve breaking of coordination linkages in a MOF and formation of extended hydrogen-bonded networks of metal-HOFs (MHOFs). This unprecedented class of MOF-to-MHOF transformations has been demonstrated using a non-conductive MOF (JUK-1) and formamidinium or methylammonium thiocyanates as solid reactants. Structural details of the solid-state reactions are revealed by powder X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinements for the MHOF products. None of the attempts using conventional methods were successful in obtaining the MHOFs, emphasizing a unique role of mechanochemical stimuli in the reactivity of supramolecular polymer solids, including crystalline MOFs and HOFs. The reversible nature of non-covalent interactions in such materials may be utilized for the development of healable polymer systems.

A Versatile Assembly Approach toward Multifunctional Supramolecular Poly(Ionic Liquid) Nanoporous Membranes in Water

Hydrogen (H)-bonding-integration of multiple ingredients into supramolecular polyelectrolyte nanoporous membranes in water, thereby achieving tailor-made porous architectures, properties, and functionalities, remains one of the foremost challenges in materials chemistry due to the significantly opposing action of water molecules against H-bonding. Herein, a strategy is described that allows direct fusing of the functional attributes of small additives into water-involved hydrogen bonding assembled supramolecular poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) nanoporous membranes (SPILMs) under ambient conditions. It discloses that the pore size distributions and mechanical properties of SPILMs are rationally controlled by tuning the H-bonding interactions between small additives and homo-PIL. It demonstrates that, benefiting from the synergy of multiple noncovalent interactions, small dye additives/homo-PIL solutions can be utilized as versatile inks for yielding colorful light emitting films with robust underwater adhesion strength, excellent stretchability, and flexibility on diverse substrates, including both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. This system provides a general platform for integrating the functional attributes of a diverse variety of additives into SPILMs to create multifunctional and programmable materials in water.

Fabrication of a self-standing supramolecular membrane by a "soft spray" technique

We report a one-step method to fabricate a free-standing supramolecular membrane composed of melamine and barbituric acid coordinated with silver nitrate (Mba-Ag) at the gas/liquid interface by a soft spray technique. MBa-Ag exhibits a folded two-dimensional layered morphology and thickness of 4.5 μm. The shortwave IR transmittance of MBa-Ag is as high as 95%, which is much higher than the transmittance of UV and visible light, and has the potential for electromagnetic wave transmission.

General Synthesis of MOF Nanotubes via Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Frameworks toward Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalysts

The application scope of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can be extended by rationally designing the architecture and components of MOFs, which can be achieved via a metal-containing solid templated strategy. However, this strategy suffers from low efficiency and provides only one specific MOF from one template. Herein, we present a versatile templated strategy in which organic ligands are weaved into hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) for the controllable and scalable synthesis of MOF nanotubes. HOF nanowires assembled from benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid and melamine via a simple sonochemical approach serve as both the template and precursor to produce MOF nanotubes with varied metal compositions. Hybrid nanotubes containing nanometal crystals and N-doped graphene prepared through a carbonization process show that the optimized NiRuIr alloy@NG nanotube exhibits excellent electrocatalytic HER activity and durability in alkaline media, outperforming most reported catalysts. The strategy proposed here demonstrates a pioneering study of combination of HOF and MOF, which shows great potential in the design of other nanosized MOFs with various architectures and compositions for potential applications.

Green and controllable synthesis of kelp-like carbon nitride nanosheets via an ultrasound-mediated self-assembly strategy

The application of graphite carbon nitride photocatalysts is hampered by their low specific surface areas, few active sites, and low photogenerated electron-hole transfer rates. Here, we report a green and controllable strategy for synthesizing kelp-like carbon nitride nanosheets through self-assembled materials prepared from melamine and trithiocyanuric acid using sonochemistry. The prepared carbon nitride nanosheets showed superior and long-lasting photocatalytic activity in hydrogen evolution and the degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride. The significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance of carbon nitride nanosheets is attributed to the curled porous nanosheet structure and the appropriate amount of O-doping. This work provides a new design strategy for preparing shape-controlled carbon nitride catalysts via a green, fast, sonochemically mediated self-assembly approach.

Competition of Hydrogen Bonds and Coordinate Bonds Induces a Reversible Crystal Transformation

Achieving reversible molecular crystal transformation between coordinate aggregates and hydrogen bonded assemblies has been a challenging task because coordinate bonds are generally much stronger than hydrogen bonds. Recently, we have reported the incorporation of silver ions into the cyanuric acid-melamine (CAM) network, resulting in the formation of a 1D coordination polymer (crystal 1) through forming the κ₁N-Ag-κ₂N coordination bonds. In this work, we find crystal 1 will undergo reversible transformation to hydrogen bonded coordinate units (crystal 2) through the breaking of coordinate chains and then the addition of CAM hydrogen bonding motifs into the framework. Crystal 2 presents a pseudohexagonal arrangement comprised of the κ₁N-Ag-κ₂N units connected by two sets of the triple hydrogen bonds, which extends two-dimensionally and stacks into a layer-structured crystal. Light was shed on the tautomerization of CA and M ligands associated with the crystal transformations using single crystal X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy by analyzing the bond lengths and vibrations. We also highlight that photoluminescence can be a useful tool to probe the tautomer conversions of conjugated molecules. Furthermore, crystal 1 demonstrates high flexibility and can be bent over 180° and recover to its original shape after stress release. Crystal 2, on the contrary, is brittle and shows distinct mechanical anisotropy along different crystal orientations, as unveiled by nanoindentation measurements. The elastic modulus is well correlated with the chemical bonding strength along each orientation, and it is noteworthy that the contribution of the triple hydrogen bonds is comparable to that of the coordination bonds.

Construction and structural transformation of two coordination sphere supramolecular isomers based on Co(ii) and 4-(2-pyridyl)-NH-1,2,3-triazole via one-pot synthesis

Two coordination sphere supramolecular isomers based on Co(ii) have been obtained via one-pot synthesis. The structural transformation process has been investigated with the help of mass spectroscopy and theoretical calculations.

Flame retardant chloroprene rubbers with high tensile strength and elongation at break via dual cross-linked networks

The tensile strength and elongation at break of rubbers are mutually restrictive factors. Design and preparation of chloroprene rubber (CR) with high tensile strength, high elongation at break and excellent flame retardancy at the same time is challenging. Melamine cyanurate (MCA) is for the first time discovered to be a reactive flame retardant for CR. The tensile strength of C-M36 (with 3 wt% ZnO and 36 wt% MCA) vulcanizate is 2.5 times that of C-M0 (only with 3 wt% ZnO) vulcanizate, while the elongation at break of C-M36 vulcanizate is 1.3 times that of ZnO cross-linked C-M0 vulcanizate. At the same time, the limiting oxygen index of C-M36 (39%) is 1.22 times that of C-M0 (32%). FTIR and the vulcanization tests confirm that the reaction between CR and cyanuric acid occurs under the catalysis of a base (melamine), and the cyanuric acid molecules are grafted onto the molecular chain of CR. Two types of crosslinking networks are formed in CR vulcanizate, namely the traditional covalent bond crosslinks and the triple hydrogen crosslinks formed between cyanuric acid and melamine. Thus, the flame-retardant CR/MCA vulcanizate with high strength and high elongation at break is obtained. This research will strongly promote the industrial application of CR.

Melamine cyanurate served as a reactive flame retardant crosslinker for chloroprene rubbers.

Supramolecular Self-Assembly of Nitrogen-Deficient Ag/g-C3N4 Nanofiber Films with Enhanced Charge Transfer Dynamics for Efficient Visible-Light Photocatalytic Activity

Molecular self-assembly of organic molecules through noncovalent interactions is a powerful strategy for designing functional materials. Herein, we fabricated a novel free-standing Ag/g-C₃N₄ nanofiber (Ag/CNNF) film via a water-based molecular engineering approach followed by pyrolysis using a cyanuric acid-melamine complex as the precursor. Uniform dispersion of plasmonic Ag nanoparticles and incorporation of nitrogen vacancies were synchronously introduced into the 3D highly interconnected porous CNNF framework. The resulting Ag/CNNF film with multilevel interlayer spacing distributions significantly expedited more sufficient charge transfer dynamics not only at Schottky junction sites but also throughout hierarchical CN by exciton dissociation. Benefiting from the synergistic enhancement in visible light harvesting capability and steered charge carrier transfer in a longitudinal direction, the Ag/CNNF film presented remarkably boosted photocatalytic ability both for hydrogen production and tetracycline degradation. The optimal Ag/CNNF-2 film exhibited a prominent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 1240 μmol g^-1 h^-1 without the Pt co-catalyst under visible light illumination, which was 10.3 times as high as that of bulk g-C₃N₄. Significantly, 1D Ag/g-C₃N₄ nanofibers self-assembled into an ordered and macroscopic film, which was more favorable in practical applications owing to good reusability and high processability. This work paved the way for the facile preparation of supramolecular self-assembled CN-based film photocatalysts.

Fabrication of a chiral luminescent hydrogel from gold nanoclusters via molecular recognition

A novel supramolecular chiral hydrogel with enhanced emission was obtained by the co-assembly of achiral thiobarbituric acid-modified gold nanoclusters (TBA-AuNCs) with chiral histidine molecules. Chirality transfer from histidine to the supramolecular hydrogels was achieved through the π-π stacking and intermolecular H-bonding based on molecular recognition. This work gives a creative strategy for the building of chiral nanocluster-based materials.

An All-Organic D-A System for Visible-Light-Driven Overall Water Splitting

Direct water splitting over photocatalysts is a prospective strategy to convert solar energy into hydrogen energy. Nevertheless, because of the undesirable electron accumulation at the surface, the overall water-splitting efficiency is seriously restricted by the poor charge separation/transfer ability. Here, an all-organic donor-acceptor (D-A) system through crafting carbon rings units-conjugated tubular graphitic carbon nitride (C-TCN) is proposed. Through a range of characterizations and theoretical calculations, the incorporation of carbon rings units via continuous π-conjugated bond builds a D-A system, which can drive intramolecular charge transfer to realize highly efficient charge separation. More importantly, the tubular structure and the incorporated carbon rings units cause a significant downshift of the valence band, of which the potential is beneficial to the activation for O₂ evolution. When serving as photocatalyst for overall water splitting, C-TCN displays considerable performance with H₂ and O₂ production rates of 204.6 and 100.8 µmol g^-1 h^-1 , respectively. The corresponding external quantum efficiency reaches 2.6% at 405 nm, and still remains 1.7% at 420 nm. This work demonstrates that the all-organic D-A system conceptualized from organic solar cell can offer promotional effect for overall water splitting by addressing the charge accumulation problem rooted in the hydrogen evolution reaction.

One-Minute Synthesis of a Supramolecular Hydrogel from Suspension-Gel Transition and the Derived Crystalline, Elastic, and Photoactive Aerogels

Solutions or sols are commonly employed as the starting materials for the preparation of supramolecular hydrogels; however, suspension-based synthesis has been much less reported because of inhomogeneity and quick sedimentation of large particles in a suspension. Further, it remains a technical challenge to derive supramolecular aerogels directly from the parental hydrogels owing to the ease of structural collapse during water removal. Herein, we report a suspension-gel transition for the ultrafast synthesis of a new supramolecular hydrogel simply by adding AgNO₃ into the aqueous suspension of cyanuric acid-melamine (CAM) aggregates. With the activation of preadded ammonia, Ag ions instantly reacted with the CAM particles, transforming into N-Ag(I)-N coordinating bonded supramolecular nanofibers; simultaneously, the suspension converted to a hydrogel without the use of polymer cross-linkers or external stimulus. Upon simple freeze-drying, a highly crystalline fibrous aerogel with a cellular network was obtained, which possessed a porosity up to 99.7% and a density as low as 4.8 mg/cm³, enabling remarkable oil uptake capacities (100 times of its weight). The supramolecular aerogel demonstrated intrinsic elasticity, which should arise from the cellular structure and elastic character of the nanofiber skeletons. Notably, the aerogel showed high compatibility to incorporate a range of external substances for further functionalization exemplified by polymeric carbon nitride (PCN, a metal-free semiconductor) included gels. The loaded PCN resulted in enhanced mechanical strength and endowed the aerogel unique photoactivity, i.e., in situ reducing Ag(I) into Ag nanoparticles upon light illumination and thus forming a plasmonic shell over the aerogel with potential applications in sensing and catalysis.

Redox-Responsive H-Bonding: Amplifying the Effect of Electron Transfer Using Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer

A new strategy to create highly redox-responsive H-bond dimers based on proton-coupled electron transfer is proposed that capitalizes on the importance of secondary H-bonds in determining overall binding strength in H-bond dimers. Electron transfer induced proton transfer across a H-bond can be used to significantly strengthen the overall binding by both creating strong ionic H-bonds and changing the secondary H-bonds from unfavorable to favorable. The viability and potency of this approach are demonstrated with an electroactive DAD (A = H-acceptor, D = H-donor) array, H(MQ⁺)H, paired with an electroinactive ADA array, O(NH)O. NMR titration of H(MQ⁺)H with O(NH)O in 0.1 M NBu₄PF₆/CD₂Cl₂ gives a K_assoc of 500 M^-1, typical of DAD-ADA dimers. However, upon two-electron reduction in 0.1 M NBu₄PF₆/CH₂Cl₂, cyclic voltammetry studies indicate a 1.8 × 10⁵ increase in binding strength, corresponding to a very large K_assoc of 9 × 10⁷ M^-1. The latter value is typical of DDD-AAA H-bond dimers, consistent with proton transfer across the central H-bond upon reduction.